Friday 26 June 2009

Reflections

Hi. The following blog is a mixture of a little bit of news and then a reflection on a few different things that I have encountered over the past few months but never had an opportunity to include them here. Some are funny and some are reflections of a serious (as supposed to funny) nature.

In terms of what I’ve been up to since my last update, well, largely it has revolved around starting preparations for the courses I hope to teach in September, God willing. I have also visited Tacna to speak to the Peruvian members of the Misión Rescate team and do evaluations with them. These were good and while there were no major problems highlighted, there were some suggestions which I think would be beneficial for the next team.

Whilst in Tacna I visited the various pastors and churches previously visited. Thankfully there seems to be quite a few interested individuals, though I have only been able to speak personally to one young lady at the Bible hour in the seminary. Therefore I don’t know how serious the other interested individuals are. The application deadline for Peruvian candidates is the end of July so there’s time yet, but I would like it sorted sooner rather than later.

The following are some pictures taken over the past few months which I thought I would share with you for different reasons.

The first two photos were taken when the team and I were returning from Puno. We stopped at a town called Mazo Cruz to have lunch (those of us who were up to it). While there a 'combi' (or minibus in English) pulled up, but I was quite surprised when I saw the passengers.
I thought, either these animals, reknown for their ability to climb mountains and travel long distances have gone soft, or the Peruvian public transport system is getting extremely popular. Alas, this was actually the bus to the butcher shop, so to speak, not that they probably knew that. But then I'm not really sure what they must have thought about it. I wonder in fact how the farmer managed to get them in in the first place!

The second pair of photos were taken when I visited the Zoo in Lima (and no they didn't keep me in). I quickly took this photo of these workmen presumably fixing an enclosure. I remember a caption I once read for a 'Men at Work' sign which read that "when men work they need everyone to know about it" or something similar. Well I thought this picture expressed a similar thought.

I'm not sure if there's a dentistry wing to Veterinary medicine, but I reckon that if there is, this toothy fellow could do with an appointment.

I took the next pair of photos in Mollendo when the team and I visited. This is the harbour where apparently some former missionaries arrived. It's now a tourist attraction and the chair that used to be used to lift people onto the pier is now a monument. Theres also a small museum nearby.
Whilst these serve as vivid reminders of the long history that Baptist Missions has in Peru, I also found personal reminders in the small things. While we stayed in the mission house in Mejia, I found the writing in the cement below. The story behind it is that when we were children we spent a holiday in the house, and while there my Dad supervised the construction of a stone wall around the house. One day while the cement below had just been laid my sister and I wrote our names in the wet concrete. It reads 'Alistair and Andrea' though the 'Alistair' has amost worn away. It isn't too clear in the picture but you can see the 'A' of Andrea almost in the middle of the picture.
Just a little reminder of my own childhood.

To keep you up to date this week end I am preaching in the San Antonio church in Moquegua in the morning and then in Ite that afternoon. This is closely followed by the midweek in Ite on Tuesday night. Please pray for me as I finish preparing and then especially as I actually preach in these churches.

Please also continue to pray for my lecture preparations and also as I continue promoting next year’s team.
Thanks once again for reading this blog and for praying for me, also I am writing another prayer letter which I hope to finish in the next few days. If your not already on my list please get in touch with me and I will make sure you get a copy.
God Bless,
Alistair

Saturday 13 June 2009

Quakes & Shakes

Hi. I’m just writing to keep you all informed of what I’ve been up to this week and plan to be doing next week. I can’t believe the days are flying by so fast.

One of the reasons I’m sitting here on the internet is that at 15:12 (according to the clock in my bedroom) there was a quite strong earth tremor and as usual I’m checking the internet to see what information I can glean about it. It seems to be still too soon as I can’t find anything about it.

I was having a little Saturday afternoon nap when the tremor started, and I thought maybe it’ll just pass, but then it got stronger and the windows rattled very loudly. There was a bit of a pause and then it started even more strongly at which point I thought that I should maybe get up after all and stand under the doorposts. I had just got my sandals on when it stopped. I was already feeling guilty enough about having a lie down without being got out of bed in such a dramatic fashion! An earth tremor is a really odd experience. One part of you wants to worry and the other is so blasé about it. In my case usually by the time I've decided its worth doing something about, its normally over.

I checked out the back window beside my bedroom to see who was about and also to check the sea. (For those who don't know, the house I'm staying in is almost beside the sea). Thankfully no apparent Tsunami’s in sight. As I looked about you could see people out in the street talking to neighbours and mothers taking their children to play on the grass near the sea away from the buildings presumably in case this might be followed by a stronger quake.

I tried phoning other missionaries just to check up on each other but the networks were understandably to busy. It’s all just another interesting aspect of life in Peru, and a clear reminder of how much you rely on God for protection in every aspect of life. Lately Ilo has had a lot of muggings, robberies and even kidnappings. This afternoon reminds us that God protects us in ways we don’t even think about, and for which we are grateful.

To keep you up to date, I have started preparing for the courses I hope to teach at the seminary. Although I’ve been reading for them over the past few months, when I’ve had the time, now I’m getting it down on paper so to speak. I’ve missed this kind of study and, whilst the task is daunting in many ways, I’m also very excited. I’ll maybe write a bit more about this over the next few weeks.

Tomorrow after the evening service in Ite I plan to go to Tacna until Wednesday. On Tuesday afternoon I have arranged to meet up with the Peruvian Misión Rescate team members to do their evaluations. Please pray that this would be useful in highlighting aspects that could be improved or taken into account for next year’s team. The rest of the three days I hope to visit the churches and pastors we previously visited promoting next year’s team to give them another letter with a submission deadline for applications. Hopefully this will hurry things along as we would like to have the candidates confirmed well in advance of October. Pray that young people apply, but also that God would give us guidance as we interview and select the right candidates.

Thanks for reading this blog and upholding me, and all the other missionaries here, in prayer.
God Bless,
Alistair.

Saturday 6 June 2009

The end and the beginning

Hi, I'm just back from Lima and getting caught up with everything. This includes accounts for any mission money I have spent, Misión Rescate accounts (still working on them), writing my monthly report to the mission telling them what I've been up to and other things like this blog which I try to update regularly.

Since the last blog we have said farewell to the year team. The farewell activities went well. The football match was cancelled in the end so a quiet Saturday was spent packing. Sunday included a meal with some of the team members families. It was good to have an opportunity to meet the parents and after the meal was had a bit of a closing ceremony.




I gave out team portraits which Dave Murphy had made before he went to Ireland. Also given out letters were of thanks to the parents for allowing their sons and daughters to come on the team, and also sent letters of thanks for their churches for sending them. Certificates were also presented to the team members for having participated in the team. These were all arranged by Dave before he left and much appreciated my the team members.




The rest of the afternoon was spent packing before attending a farewell service at the Ite church.
As soon as possible following the service the Peruvian members rushed to try and catch the last bus to Tacna. The Irish team members and I also headed to Tacna to catch the early morning flight on Monday to Lima. Thankfully everyone was able to make it to the airport on Monday morning, though the lack of sleep was evident. In the end seeing the Irish members board the plane probably helped them bring closure to this chapter of their lives. Please pray for me as I hope to visit the Peruvian team members next week to see how they are settling back into normal life again. I hope to carry out evaluations with them regarding the team. Pray that these would be useful in helping us plan for next years team.
Simon, Roberta and I obviously then headed on to Lima and spent most of the day there before their flight home that evening. We visited a souvenir market and Roberta particularly got very excited about some of her purchases for family and friends back home. Thankfully the day in Lima went well and they were able to catch their flight home without any major problems. Please pray for them as they seek to adapt back to life in Ireland. Some missionaries claim to have faced more culture shock going home than when they came to the mission field, so pray for them both.

The rest of the week was spent in Lima with the Roycroft's. This was a good opportunity for fun and fellowship. It's amazing to see how quickly Grace is growing up. The main purpose of the stay in Lima (apart from ensuring Simon and Roberta were allowed out of the country) was to conclude immigration procedures for Grace to ensure she didn't have to leave too. God was good and her paperwork was concluded without any difficulties in less than two hours.

I flew back to Tacna yesterday and then travelled on to Ilo. Please pray as I settle into life here again. Over the past few months I haven't been in Ilo longer than two weeks at a time and it's made it difficult to settle. Hopefully now I will have a chance to try and make a bit of a home here. Pray also as I start concentrating on preparations for the courses I hope to teach at the seminary. I hope to get into that once I get a few loose ends tied up.

Thanks once again for all your prayerful support and the words of encouragement I receive by internet comments, e-mail etc.

God Bless,
Alistair.